Thread by @imaracingmom

Thread:
Something some people don't know about me.
One of my passions in life is motorsports. One of the people I admire in that industry is Don Prudhomme.
hotrod.com/articles/the-d…

Message boards used to be a huge deal and I participated in several racing ones. One year well known photographer, Les Welch, asked me to work as a reporter at the NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, MN. Les was a great guy.

competitionplus.com/drag-racing/ne…

Pro-Stock racers Warren and son, Kurt, Johnson were from MN. I was a fan. I chatted often on the message boards often with Warren's wife, Arlene. She was a very cool lady. Les told Arlene I was working for him for a weekend and she insisted we meet. Les set up the meeting.

I was so start struck, I could barely speak! I spent the weekend up in the Press Tower. The view from up there is amazing. I sat next to friend and local sports reporter, Clint Wood. Clint was my mentor for the weekend, because I'd never been "press" before.

Clint and Les both told me that the most important thing was to not step on the toes of the NHRA reporters from National Dragster. All I had to do was report live to the website I was hired to report for. Les was providing the photos. (I wish I could remember what website!)

*Star struck, not start struck! LOL

There was a horrific crash involving Top Fuel drivers Gary Scelzi and John Smith. I was at the lap top reporting live like I was supposed to. Not realizing what I was doing, I typed "oh my God, oh my God, oh my God" as I watched the crash. I quickly added the details of the crash

I wish the local paper archives still showed Clint Wood's photo. brainerddispatch.com/sports/dont-tr…

Well, it turns out that I pissed off the NHRA reporters because I scooped them and was the first person to report the crash to the online world. <giggle> Les said a couple of stern things to me in front of them and then later slipped me a $100 bonus for the scoop!

Everyone survived the crash. John Smith was air lifted to the cities, he had a few broken bones. He recovered and raced another day. Scelzi gave us all an interview later, after he was checked out at the hospital.

Warren Johnson won prostock. During press room interviews, I stood back out of the way a bit as the real "press" people were firing questions at him. He interrupted one of them and pointed at me and asked if I had a question! (I don't remember what I asked him, star struck again)

Don Prudhomme's drivers Larry Dixon (top fuel) and Ron Capps (funny car) both won at that event. Don was like a proud pappa! No one told "The Snake" that he couldn't be smoking his cigar in the press room.
brainerddispatch.com/sports/capps-d…

Don was sitting in a chair and I was standing beside the chair. All of a sudden, he taps my left leg, right by the knee. I look at him and his eyes are glowing and he says to me "what do you think of my boys?". Oh boy, star struck again. I have no idea what my reply was!

That was my one and only time I was a motorsports reporter. My press pass from that weekend is in my treasure box. A very special opportunity and a very special memory.